Editing Science museum (section)

==Modern science museums==
[[File:Μουσείο Arktikum (φανταστικό ^^^) - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Arktikum Science Museum]] in [[Rovaniemi]], [[Finland]]]]
The modern interactive science museum appears to have been pioneered by Munich's [[Deutsches Museum]] (German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology) in the early 20th century. This museum had moving exhibits where visitors were encouraged to push buttons and work levers. The concept was taken to the United States by [[Julius Rosenwald]], chairman of [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]], who visited the Deutsches Museum with his young son in 1911. He was so captivated by the experience that he decided to build a similar museum in his home town.{{R|"MSI"}} The [[Ampère Museum]], close to Lyon, was created in 1931 and is the first interactive scientific museum in France. Chicago's [[Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science and Industry]] opened in phases between 1933 and 1940.

In 1959, the Museum of Science and Natural History (now the [[Saint Louis Science Center]]) was formally created by the Academy of Science of Saint Louis, featuring many interactive science and history exhibits, and in August 1969, [[Frank Oppenheimer]] dedicated his new [[Exploratorium]] in [[San Francisco]] almost completely to interactive science exhibits, building on the experience by publishing 'Cookbooks' that explain how to construct versions of the Exploratorium's exhibits.{{R|cookbook}} 

The [[Ontario Science Centre]], which opened in September 1969, continued the trend of featuring interactive exhibits rather than static displays.

In 1973, the first [[Imax|Omnimax]] cinema opened at the [[Reuben H. Fleet Science Center|Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center]] in San Diego's Balboa Park. The tilted-dome Space Theater doubled as a [[planetarium]]. The Science Centre was an exploratorium-style museum included as a small part of the complex. This combination of interactive science museum, planetarium and Omnimax theater pioneered a configuration that many major science museums now follow.

Also in 1973, the [[Association of Science-Technology Centers]] (ASTC) was founded as an international organisation to provide a collective voice, professional support, and programming opportunities for science centres, museums and related institutions.

The massive [[Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie]] (City of Science and Industry) opened in Paris in 1986, and national centres soon followed in Denmark (Experimentarium),{{R|Exp}} Sweden ([[Tom Tits Experiment]]), Finland ([[Heureka]]), and Spain ([[Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe|Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe]]). In the United Kingdom, the first interactive centres also opened in 1986 on a modest scale, with further developments more than a decade later, funded by the [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]] for projects to celebrate the [[Millennium]].

Since the 1990s, science museums and centres have been created or greatly expanded in Asia. Examples are [[Thailand]]'s [[National Science Museum (Thailand)|National Science Museum]] and [[Japan]]'s Minato Science Museum{{R|Minato}}.

<gallery>
File:Mcdonnell planetarium slsc.jpg|The [[Saint Louis Science Center]]'s James S. McDonnell Planetarium
File:AHHAA.jpg|[[AHHAA|Science Centre AHHAA]] in [[Tartu]], [[Estonia]]
File:Vantaa-heureka.jpg|[[Heureka|Heureka Science Centre]] in [[Tikkurila]], [[Vantaa]], [[Finland]]
File:California Science Center (8089345453).jpg|upright|Space exhibit at the [[California Science Center]]
File:Science Museum London 1110466 nevit.jpg|Interactive exhibit at the [[Science Museum London]]
</gallery>